A Honeymoon In Paris
by dust on the wind
Summary: Marlene has finally achieved her dream. But her new husband has some questions about her past...


_I do not own any of the characters from the series Hogan's Heroes. _

_A postscript to "Klink's Old Flame" (Season 4)_

* * *

"Well, my dear, how do you like Paris?"

Marlene, standing at the window gazing out over the city, turned her head to meet the eyes of the man whom, only two days ago, she had promised to love, honour and obey. He sat there on the wide, deep velvet-covered couch, still in the SS uniform which he wore as much from choice as from duty, looking not unlike a large black rat against the opulence of this extremely expensive and ornately decorated hotel suite. But Marlene, in the glow of having reached the objective she had pursued for so long, saw nothing amiss.

"Oh, _Liebchen_," she sighed, "it's even more beautiful than I imagined. All my life I've dreamed of coming to Paris, and to be here with you, on my honeymoon...darling, what more could any woman ask for?"

"You wouldn't rather be here with your old flame?" A cynical gleam flickered in Count von Heffernick's eye, as he observed how quickly the blush rose in her cheeks. "My dear Marlene, your little comedy at Stalag 13 didn't fool me at all. I realised very quickly that whatever feelings might have existed between you and Colonel Klink had long since died out. But I thought it would be amusing to see how far he would go to wriggle out of it, and I was right."

She blushed, but passed it off with a laugh. "Poor Willie! It was a shame to make use of him. You're not angry, are you, darling?"

"Of course not. It's quite flattering to see you take such trouble to convince me that I should act without delay. As it happens, I had every intention of marrying you at the earliest opportunity, so your charade wasn't necessary. But let this be a lesson to you, my dear. I'm not an easy man to deceive, and I may not be so indulgent the next time."

Her lips curved into a demure, submissive smile. There wouldn't be a next time. "The kettle is boiling. Would you like me to make the tea?"

"Please do." Von Heffernick's eyes softened just a little, as he watched her glide across the room with her usual perfect deportment, towards the table where his prized antique silver kettle stood on its spirit burner, steam rising from its elegantly curving spout. He couldn't hide his satisfaction at seeing how his highly-bred bride, like any good German wife, considered it her duty to serve him.

She had counted on it. From the moment she had set her sights on von Heffernick, she'd studied her mark. It wasn't difficult; everyone knew about his family connections, his military and diplomatic career, and his unfortunate first marriage (the previous Countess was now living somewhere in the Caribbean with a Swedish oil trader). But Marlene had investigated further, making it her business to learn the minutiae of his domestic habits: his taste for traditionally heavy German meals, although he never ate any sweet foods; his preference for spending his evenings dining with other officers, either at home or at one of their favourite restaurants, drinking copious amounts of _Schnaps _while discussing how to win the war; how he had no patience with music or theatre, and looked on the cinema as no more than a distraction, keeping the masses entertained so they didn't get troublesome. She even knew about his most closely guarded secret: the tiny, bitter-tasting pills he took every morning, for his heart.

Before the war, while on a trade mission to London, he had picked up the habit of taking tea every afternoon in the English manner, although he took his with a dash of _Schnaps _rather than milk; and his prospective bride had taken care to learn how to prepare it in the way he expected. She warmed the little blue-and-white porcelain pot, swirling the water around with a graceful turn of the wrist, then emptied it into the waste bowl, and measured out the leaves from the antique tortoiseshell caddy.

"I must confess, I am a little curious about Klink," said von Heffernick. "He must have been very different as a young man, to make you fall in love with him."

Marlene poured a precise amount of boiling water onto the leaves before she replied. "Actually, he was much the same man then as he is now."

He took a few moments to analyse the remark. "I think I understand. Your apparent infatuation with Klink served exactly the same purpose then as now - to arouse the jealousy of the man you were actually interested in." His wife showed no sign of losing her composure, and after a pause, he went further along the path of speculation: "I assume that your first use of this strategy must have worked, since you employed it again with me. I find it interesting, however, that although you have sung Klink's praises to the skies, you have never once mentioned your other sweetheart."

"It was a long time ago," said Marlene, setting a delicate cup and saucer onto the tea-tray with a steady hand.

"Not so long, Marlene." There was an edge to von Heffernick's voice; the same hard tone with which he kept his subordinates in order. "I would very much like to know more about this old lover, and why he seems to have dropped out of your life without leaving any trace. I don't like mysteries, especially when they concern my wife."

"There's no mystery, darling," she replied sweetly. "It was such a very brief romance. But if you wish, I will tell you all about it, while you drink your tea."

Von Heffernick held his peace until Marlene had placed the tray on the low table in front of him. "Shall I pour?" she asked, as she sat down.

"Of course."

He accepted the cup she gave him, added a splash of brandy from his hip flask, and took a mouthful, while Marlene filled a second cup for herself, flavouring it with a slice of lemon.

"Perfect, my dear. Just as I like it," said von Heffernick. He drank some more, then set the cup and saucer down on the table, and leaned back, the better to observe. "Now, let us talk about your past affairs. For a start, I should like to know how you came to meet this gentleman."

Marlene sipped daintily at her tea before she replied. "The same way I met Willie. He was one of my brother's classmates at the military academy at Potsdam. After they graduated they kept in touch, and as some of them were posted quite close to Leipzig, it was only natural that they should call on us whenever they had a few days' leave in town."

"Ah, I see. He was part of your brother's circle of friends - Klink, and Stofle, and von Lintzer..."

"And Hansi Kronmann," added Marlene, "and Karl Strecker." She paused, studying von Heffernick's reaction from under her long eyelashes, then continued. "Most of them showed an interest in me, of course. I didn't care for Hans Stofle, or for Rudi von Lintzer. I've never liked bullies. Karl - yes, I liked Karl. I liked him a lot, and I could tell he liked me. But Karl was not so forward as some men can be. He didn't say anything, and of course, I couldn't be the first to speak. So I had to give him a little encouragement."

"And you did so by encouraging Klink."

A glimmer of amusement lit up her eyes. "It didn't take much effort. All I had to do was gaze into his eyes and tell him how wonderful he was. Not that he ever doubted it, but he liked to hear it from me. For a few weeks, we were almost inseparable. Willie took me to parties, and to the theatre, and we went for walks in the park. He even escorted me to church, which caused a great deal of talk. Don't let your tea grow cold, _Liebchen_."

Von Heffernick drained his cup, and put it back on the saucer. "Go on, Marlene. I am anxious to know the outcome of your plot. Did this man Strecker make his feelings known?"

"Not at first. The whole situation was most uncomfortable. My parents didn't approve at all. My father was simply dreadful about it, and kept talking about giving poor Willie a well-deserved thrashing. Willie's friends thought it was a joke, except for von Lintzer, who was furious because I'd passed him over. I believe he never forgave Willie for it. But Karl never said a word, until something happened which changed everything."

Her voice, which had been so calm up till this point, suddenly faltered. She took a sip of tea; it was bitter, but it helped.

"Of course, everyone knew there would be a war, sooner or later. And I knew when it came, he would have to go. I just didn't realise it would be so soon."

Once again, her words fell away into silence. This wouldn't do. Already, von Heffernick's gaze had grown sterner as he considered the significance of her unintended self-betrayal. Better to avoid talking of Karl, for now.

"Actually, I suspect Willie was secretly rather relieved about the declaration of war. Between my father's threats and von Lintzer's temper, he had started to think it was in his best interests to end our affair, but he couldn't find a way to do it without making himself look bad. The war gave him just the excuse he needed. He came to see me one last time, and made a beautiful parting speech, telling me that he was about to go into battle, risking his life for the Kaiser and the Fatherland, and that it wouldn't be right to expect me to wait for him, when he might never return. I said I quite understood, and I was perfectly willing to forget he ever existed. That was the end of our little romance."

Marlene set her cup down next to von Heffernick's, and folded her hands in her lap. "I saw Karl once more, before he embarked for the front. I'm not going to tell you what we said. It doesn't matter now, because he was killed at Langemarck, and I never saw him again. I heard later from one of his fellow officers how it happened. A general retreat had been ordered, but the message was not passed on to Karl and his men. They were cut off from their own lines, and had no chance."

Von Heffernick had become very still, and a faint sheen of perspiration shone on his brow; but he didn't speak.

"Karl's friend even told me the name of the officer who had failed to pass on the order. I'm sure I don't need to remind you, _Liebchen_. Even if you don't remember what you did that day, you must be able to guess." She tilted her head, searching his face for signs of comprehension. "I know, my love. Fortunes of war. Mistakes are made, and men die. I don't blame you for it, not any more. It's certainly not the reason why I have just poisoned you. That's a different matter entirely."

Had he been able to, he would certainly have reacted violently; but his muscles had already grown inert. His eyes, burning with a question his lips could no longer ask, fixed on the two tea-cups sitting side-by-side on the table.

"No, not the tea," said Marlene gently. "I put it in your flask of _Schnaps_, this morning, while you were shaving. That's why I married you. I couldn't get to you any other way. As for the reason - well, my dear, that has to do with another of my brother's old classmates. I mentioned his name just now: Hansi Kronmann."

Von Heffernick's breathing had started to thicken, and his eyes had taken on a glazed, unfocussed look, but he seemed determined to hold on, if only for long enough to understand. At least, Marlene chose to believe so.

"To be honest, I never paid much attention to Hansi in the old days. He was always a little dull, both academically and in personality. But when I met him again in Berlin last year, I learned there was much more to him than I'd realised. I had some connections with the Resistance, he was involved in a plan to assassinate the Führer. It's always nice for old friends to find they have similar interests. He told me about things he'd seen and heard, things which he believed should not be allowed to go on. Sadly, his plan failed, and he died in Gestapo custody. But his bravery convinced me that it was time for me to take a more active part in ending the war. Of course, the Führer is out of my reach, for now. But one less general - one less man prepared to carry out his terrible plans - surely that must help in the overall objective."

She glanced at him, as if seeking his opinion on this point. Then she leaned forward, and laid two fingertips on the warm, sweat-sticky skin of his neck. After a few seconds, she drew back.

It was a shame her honeymoon was spoiled. But she had the funeral to look forward to, and amongst all the officers who would come to pay their respects, she might even find her next target.

Another honeymoon in Paris? Well, a girl can dream.

* * *

_Note: apart from Marlene's brother and Karl, Klink's former classmates are canon: Hans Stofle appears in "Hello, Zolle" (Season 1), Hansi Kronmann in "The Safecracker Suite" (also Season 1) and Rudolf von Lintzer in "Klink's Rocket" (Season 2)_


End file.
